"Receiving bra donations from France and all over the country has been amazing,” says top Drawer Lingerie owner Dow Hickam.

since Hurricane Harvey made landfall, donations have poured in from across the country to help those who lost everything in the flood waters. But in the mountains of clothing collected, one critical item has been under-represented: bras. Often people are hesitant to donate undergarments both because of their personal nature and because certain organizations don't accept them, wary of dirty or otherwise unappealing items that are beyond usefulness. That's why Dow Hickam, the owner of Top Drawer Lingerie, stepped up to help fill this crucial need for women.

He was spurred to action after receiving a call from a woman in Georgia who was holding an annual bra drive and wanted to donate everything raised to Houston. Within days, Hickam had about $5,000 worth of bras to be donated. To ensure they will carefully be distributed to woman in need, Top Drawer partnered with Support the Girls, the Faulk Foundation, and the charitable Facebook group Underpants Fairy.

“I was surprised to see so many of my bra vendors being very generous. Receiving bra donations from France and all over the country has been amazing,” he says.

Top Drawer continues to accept bra and underwear donations from locals as well. In addition to new, unworn undergarments, Hickam suggests bringing in lightly worn bras—like those that are the wrong size that just sit in your lingerie drawer. Since launching the bra drive out of his Uptown Park boutique, Top Drawer has donated $170,000 worth of bras and $68,000 worth of panties to help Harvey victims. Now that's what we call supporting the girls.